Joe Biden claims world leaders begged him to 'save the world' from Donald Trump as he entered the race for the White House yesterday.

The former vice-president made the claims in a call to campaign donors yesterday as he announced he was joining the field of 20 Democrats vying for the presidency.

'I get calls from people all over the world. World leaders are calling me, and they're almost begging me to do this, to save the country, save the world,' Biden said according to Politico.

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Biden claimed in a call to donors on Thursday that he had been asked by several world leaders to 'save the world' from President Trump

Biden has been frantically garnering support from donors with flights around the US because of his late entry to the race.

But the former VP, who has twice failed in attempts to become President in 1988 and 2008, is said to have support from several figures in Europe after they praised him during the Munich Security Conference in February.

'His name has a favourable ring in European ears,' the former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt said.

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While Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Nato secretary- general, was also said to have encouraged him to run for President.

Biden unveiled his campaign on Thursday morning with a slick video in which he declared: 'We are in the battle for the soul of this nation.'

'Everything that has made America America is at stake,' Biden continued, casting Trump's presidency as akin to the rise of Nazism in 1930s Germany and promising to restore 'who we are'.

President Donald Trump has dismissed Joe Biden's vow to 'battle for the soul' of the nation, saying that the country was more divided during the Obama administration

It’s an illustration of how political campaigns in America have changed that a few hours after launching his Presidential campaign online, Joe Biden is not at a huge launch party but sitting quietly on a train to New York with just a handful of aides pic.twitter.com/yMHFWsKoA3

Trump dismissed Biden's campaign theme, touting his own accomplishments in the realm of the economy and military funding.

'When Biden makes the statement talking about the 'soul' - I mean the soul, take a look at Obama,' Trump said.

'People forget there was tremendous division during Obama administration, tremendous division. We actually have great spirit right now,' Trump continued.

Biden's campaign announcement, long expected, makes him the official front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, with most polls showing the 76-year-old leading Senator Bernie Sanders, 77.

Biden faces a formidable field of 19 opponents, however, the largest field to ever seek the nomination for a major U.S. party.

Hours after announcing his campaign, Biden was pictured sitting casually on an Amtrak train in a photo which soon went viral on Twitter.

Biden, known by some as 'Amtrak Joe;, can be seen sitting near aides on a train as they headed to New York, according to tweets shared by BBC North America bureau chief Paul Danahar.

He has reportedly travelled by Amtrak for years, commuting between his home in Wilmington, Delaware and Washington DC.